From Terranova to Terra Firma: A Critique of the Role of Free Labour and the Digital Economy
Abstract On-going class action against America Online's use of ‘free labour’ has divided opinion about the management of ‘digital’ labour in the ‘new’ economy. Web-based systems of collaboration between and within firms and their customers, as well as customer engagement in product innovation,...
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/103530461002000209 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/103530461002000209 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S1035304600009418 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1177/103530461002000209 2024-06-23T07:57:09+00:00 From Terranova to Terra Firma: A Critique of the Role of Free Labour and the Digital Economy van den Broek, Diane 2010 http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/103530461002000209 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/103530461002000209 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S1035304600009418 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms The Economic and Labour Relations Review volume 20, issue 2, page 123-133 ISSN 1035-3046 1838-2673 journal-article 2010 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1177/103530461002000209 2024-06-05T04:04:52Z Abstract On-going class action against America Online's use of ‘free labour’ has divided opinion about the management of ‘digital’ labour in the ‘new’ economy. Web-based systems of collaboration between and within firms and their customers, as well as customer engagement in product innovation, have underscored claims about the evaporation of traditional labour markets and labour processes as well as about (weakening) divisions between production and consumption. This has led to (exaggerated) debates about the contribution of ‘free’ or ‘immaterial’ labour to contemporary economies. This paper argues that while significant restructuring has changed traditional organisational forms, capital markets remain centralised and digital labour remains as regulated as other labour. As such, while labour cannot be fully commodified, digital labour is neither free or immaterial, because it is not the content of labour itself, but rather its relationship with capital that gives it ‘weight’ and value. Article in Journal/Newspaper Terranova Cambridge University Press Terra Firma ENVELOPE(-67.533,-67.533,-68.700,-68.700) The Economic and Labour Relations Review 20 2 123 133 |
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Cambridge University Press |
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English |
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Abstract On-going class action against America Online's use of ‘free labour’ has divided opinion about the management of ‘digital’ labour in the ‘new’ economy. Web-based systems of collaboration between and within firms and their customers, as well as customer engagement in product innovation, have underscored claims about the evaporation of traditional labour markets and labour processes as well as about (weakening) divisions between production and consumption. This has led to (exaggerated) debates about the contribution of ‘free’ or ‘immaterial’ labour to contemporary economies. This paper argues that while significant restructuring has changed traditional organisational forms, capital markets remain centralised and digital labour remains as regulated as other labour. As such, while labour cannot be fully commodified, digital labour is neither free or immaterial, because it is not the content of labour itself, but rather its relationship with capital that gives it ‘weight’ and value. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
van den Broek, Diane |
spellingShingle |
van den Broek, Diane From Terranova to Terra Firma: A Critique of the Role of Free Labour and the Digital Economy |
author_facet |
van den Broek, Diane |
author_sort |
van den Broek, Diane |
title |
From Terranova to Terra Firma: A Critique of the Role of Free Labour and the Digital Economy |
title_short |
From Terranova to Terra Firma: A Critique of the Role of Free Labour and the Digital Economy |
title_full |
From Terranova to Terra Firma: A Critique of the Role of Free Labour and the Digital Economy |
title_fullStr |
From Terranova to Terra Firma: A Critique of the Role of Free Labour and the Digital Economy |
title_full_unstemmed |
From Terranova to Terra Firma: A Critique of the Role of Free Labour and the Digital Economy |
title_sort |
from terranova to terra firma: a critique of the role of free labour and the digital economy |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2010 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/103530461002000209 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/103530461002000209 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S1035304600009418 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-67.533,-67.533,-68.700,-68.700) |
geographic |
Terra Firma |
geographic_facet |
Terra Firma |
genre |
Terranova |
genre_facet |
Terranova |
op_source |
The Economic and Labour Relations Review volume 20, issue 2, page 123-133 ISSN 1035-3046 1838-2673 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1177/103530461002000209 |
container_title |
The Economic and Labour Relations Review |
container_volume |
20 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
123 |
op_container_end_page |
133 |
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1802650626521300992 |